I have a tough time remembering names even though I can easily remember faces, events, ideas and concepts. Does that mean I have poor memory? The answer to that is not so straightforward. In this post, I shall explore sensory memory and why that is so important.

Everyone knows that multi-tasking means doing more than one task at the same time. Let’s face it, all of us multi-task fairly regularly. But did you know that there are different kinds of multi-tasking?

Neuroscientists are beginning to accumulate plenty of research findings that indicate the second kind of multi-tasking is not conducive to optimum brain function. What are their conclusions?

The brain functions like a smartphone – filled with applications many of which can multi-task. Different parts of the brain and different neural circuits are employed by the brain to perform different functions. What happens when one function hinders the performance of another function? In the iPhone example, what happens when you are listening to a song and a call comes through. The iPhone decides to suspend playing the song and gives your incoming call preference.

Similar to the iPhone, we need to set up processes in place (consciously or sub-consciously) that will help us manage the conflicts in the brain.

Imagine that you receive a party invitation where the dress code is formal and casual. Will you be confused? What would you do? We send such conflicting instructions to the brain more often than we realize.

What part of you is only 1% to 3% of your body’s mass, yet uses 20% of all the oxygen you breathe? Your brain! Your brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen. A 10 minute loss of oxygen will usually cause significant neural damage.

The amount of oxygen you get influences the state of your body and your brain.
So how do we breathe efficiently?

In today’s tech-filled world, part of my daily routine works around making sure that my iPhone, iPod and laptops are all charged and always ready for my use. When I travel, I have a separate luggage for all my technology-related items.

How about my brain? Considering that my brain is better than any chip that I can buy today, what am I doing to ensure that my brain is properly charged and adequately cared for?

Here’s my list of top 10 brain fitness ideas based on my personal experience and research.